Experts Demand Gender-Inclusive Water Solutions Amid 40% Borehole Failure Rate
Development experts have issued a compelling call for enhanced gender inclusion in water governance across Nigeria, emphasizing that equitable access to water is fundamental to social justice and sustainable development. This urgent appeal comes as infrastructure gaps in rapidly expanding urban centers continue to exacerbate inequality, with water access becoming increasingly precarious for millions.
Alarming Borehole Failure Rates Expose Systemic Issues
Nigeria requires over 700,000 boreholes to meet its escalating water supply needs, yet more than 40 percent of government-installed boreholes fail within just two years. This staggering failure rate raises serious concerns about their viability as a sustainable water source. Experts attribute this to deep-rooted systemic problems, including poor maintenance culture, weak regulatory oversight, inadequate hydrogeological assessments, and a lack of community ownership.
Speaking on this year's World Water Day theme, "Water and Gender," with the slogan "Where Water Flows, Equality Grows," specialists urged governments and development institutions to place women and girls at the forefront of water solutions and decision-making processes. They stressed that the theme highlights the critical link between gender equality and water access, particularly in developing nations like Nigeria where women and girls disproportionately shoulder the burden of sourcing domestic water.
Current Water Infrastructure and Access Challenges
According to statistics from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Nigeria has approximately 2.31 million water points, with 75 percent being self-supplied. Of these, 43 percent are boreholes, while less than one-fifth are accessible to persons living with disabilities. Public water utilities are currently operational in only 28 out of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with just 16 states having functional utilities that consistently produce water, supply active consumers, and collect user fees.
In rural areas, the average per capita access to drinking water is estimated at a mere nine liters per person per day, far below global standards. Only 19 percent of the population uses water systems meeting the adequacy threshold of at least 16 liters per person daily within a 500-meter radius. More alarmingly, about 70 percent of drinking water at both source and household levels is contaminated with E. coli, exposing millions to waterborne diseases, with rural dwellers disproportionately affected.
Urban Disparities and the Informal Water Economy
In many urban centers, particularly informal settlements in Lagos and other major cities, access to clean water is heavily influenced by income levels and location. Affluent neighborhoods enjoy relatively stable supplies through private boreholes and water treatment systems, while low-income communities rely extensively on water vendors, tanker services, and unsafe sources. This disparity has fostered a thriving informal water economy where residents pay significantly more per liter than those connected to public supply systems.
Women, who are primarily responsible for household water management, bear the brunt of these costs, often allocating a substantial share of household income to water expenses. This financial strain further limits their economic opportunities and social engagement.
Expert Recommendations for Sustainable Solutions
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) expert Mr. Timeyin Uwejamomere called on state governors to reinvest in large-scale water treatment plants to address supply challenges across both urban and rural communities. He noted that currently, only a few states have water supply from treatment plants, providing less than 10 percent of drinking water to citizens. While privatization of water supply is being considered, Uwejamomere cautioned that it must be approached carefully, as water is a basic need and a human right requiring a balance between social and commercial considerations.
Uwejamomere, Managing Partner/CEO of Mangrove & Partners Ltd, warned that Nigeria risks missing the Sustainable Development Goal on water and sanitation at the current pace of progress. He highlighted that Nigeria still leads in open defecation, with severe consequences for women and girls, particularly in underserved communities and urban slums where sanitation access is limited.
He acknowledged that gaps in government provision have created opportunities for non-state actors like UNICEF, WaterAid, and Self-Help Africa, which support community-managed systems and promote women's participation in water governance. However, he stressed that such interventions remain insufficient compared to the scale of need and cannot replace the government's role in providing large-scale infrastructure.
Women as Central Actors in Water Governance
Professor Peter Cookey, Director of the Centre for Water and Sanitation Studies (CeWASS) at Rivers State University, Port Harcourt, emphasized that women must be recognized as central actors in water governance rather than mere beneficiaries. He noted that an increasing number of WASH programs now ensure women occupy leadership roles in community water management committees. When women are involved in decisions such as siting water points, tariff setting, and maintenance, projects become more responsive to community needs and more sustainable in the long term.
Cookey called for increased investments in infrastructure, innovation, and capacity building to train a new generation of WASH professionals capable of designing, implementing, and managing sustainable water systems in both urban and rural settings. He also urged governments to adopt gender-responsive policies mandating women's representation in water boards, regulatory bodies, and community management structures. According to him, monitoring frameworks should include gender-sensitive indicators such as reductions in time spent fetching water, women's participation in decision-making, and economic opportunities created through improved water access.
Broader Implications on Sanitation and Public Health
Dr. Joachim Ezeji, Founder of the Rural Africa Water Development Project (RAWDP), highlighted the broader implications of inadequate water access on sanitation, public health, and overall human development. He explained that without reliable water, sanitation facilities cannot be properly maintained, leading to unhygienic conditions and increased exposure to disease. In schools, poor sanitation disproportionately affects girls, especially in managing menstrual hygiene, which contributes to absenteeism and poor educational outcomes.
Ezeji added that inadequate water and sanitation services are not just service delivery gaps but structural constraints on development. They erode public health, reduce labor productivity, limit educational attainment, and constrain economic participation. For women in particular, the burden includes caring for sick children, managing household hygiene under constrained conditions, and navigating unsafe sanitation environments, collectively diminishing their opportunities for meaningful economic and social engagement.
He called for a comprehensive review of gender policies and institutional frameworks to ensure they address sector-specific challenges in water service delivery. Ezeji emphasized that gender mainstreaming must move beyond policy statements to a system-wide approach that integrates gender considerations into planning, budgeting, implementation, and performance monitoring.
